Georgia-Pacific Launches Packaging Systems Optimization Microsite

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Georgia-Pacific Launches Packaging Systems Optimization Microsite

05/11/2007

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Georgia-Pacific here launched a Packaging Systems Optimization (PSO) microsite on the Web, highlighting the company's program to help customers reduce total packaging costs while achieving greater sustainability with a short lead time.

The site also offers the PSO calculator, a Web-based tool that quickly estimates potential sustainability improvements. Site visitors simply input current corrugated spend in the PSO calculator, which in turn estimates potential savings in terms of raw material cost, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Georgia-Pacific's PSO program is a rigorous, five-step process, in which a team of packaging experts and engineers analyze a company's entire packaging supply chain from package design and shelf impact to line productivity, material handling and distribution. The PSO team delivers a detailed report outlining areas in which improved cost-savings, profitability and sustainability can be achieved.

"Since we began using PSO in 2002, we have identified annual savings of over $180 million for our customers," said Brian Reilly, senior director, Georgia-Pacific Innovation Institute. "We've found that our process works across all industries - the solutions are different, but the path to get there is the same. Even the smallest changes to the packaging supply chain can improve sustainability and decrease costs," said Reilly, citing as an example a packaging redesign that optimizes material usage, which can conversely "increase assembly line productivity and maximize cube utilization. The end result would be reduced energy consumption as well as emissions from fewer shipments."